Ultimate Vacation Pampering in Indonesia: Malimbu Cliff Villa

Talk about a dream vacation spot: #Malimbu Cliff Villa is set high above the sea on a grassy hillside, with access to a private beach and expansive views across the ocean all the way to Bali’s Mt. Agung. And the views inside are just as impressive. You enter the villa at the uppermost level, via a balé (gazebo), with a shell chandelier suspended from a traditional serap roof. This floor houses a lobby, the huge master suite, and one of the three guest bedrooms. On the ground floor are two guest bedrooms, plus an open-plan living, dining, and kitchen area  all wood grain and white freshness that leads directly outdoors, to the infinity pool and deck. Finally, the villa’s lowest level, accessed via a spiral staircase, holds a children’s playroom with what else? bunk beds!

Pampering is the order of the day here  a villa manager, butler, and two housekeepers are at your disposal to make sure every moment of your stay is the best. They’re a wealth of information on local attractions, too; from a round of golf at the Lombok Golf Kosaido Country Club to nightlife in nearby Senggigi, or from snorkeling or scuba diving around the Gili Islands to a three-day mountain trek to volcanic Mt. Rinjani  just ask. Want spa treatments? You can arrange for them right in your villa, or visit Quinci Villas’ spa nearby. Shopping’s always an option: Lombok is well-known for pearls, not to mention pottery, weaving, and baskets. But the best part of this villa is its secluded, get-away-from-it-all ambience: once you’ve settled into this bright, airy, colorful space, you might never want to leave.

 

Ten Gardens — in 90 Days: Mission Accomplished by Grace Design Associates

These homeowners had lovingly built a 10,000-square foot home overlooking the coastline at Santa Barbara, and had a terrific garden in mind for it — but the project was past deadline, over-budget, and filled with problems, and the owners were at wit’s end. So they called in Grace Design Associates to help make things right. It wasn’t easy: no fewer than 10 distinct garden ideas were to be executed in an area surrounded by sea air. The solution was carefully chosen native plants that could tolerate air that is not only salt-heavy, but varies in temperature to the point where it can kill plants that would do fine in other areas. Grace went to work, and within the owners’ parameter of only 90 days, 10 gardens came to pass.

 

There is a sunken garden (modeled after Sissinghurst in England); a Zen garden (with a Buddha statue, dragon, and temple bell); a white garden (an outdoor gallery with silvery blue foliage); and a theater garden, where productions can actually be staged. Next is a Queen’s garden — inspired by Alice in Wonderland; a pergola, which includes an outdoor kitchen and entertainment spot; a herb garden, consisting of raised beds in a geometric pattern around a central fountain — and, of course, a vegetable garden (with strawberries that cascade down the wall). Finally, there’s a vineyard, complete with Pinot Noir clone 115 vines; and the parterre, modeled after a French palace garden — in a space of only 15 by 30 feet. The best news? The owners are, in Grace’s words, “amazed.

gardens

 

Garden 2

Gardens,